I Am Not Joan Lunden

I am good at following directions.  My biggest desire was to make sure that I didn’t create any issues at work with the change of my appearance.  Although I had found Bernadette’s Wig shop; We also did a fitting for wigs.  We found out that I have slightly larger head than average so they would have to order a wig for me.  So then the question became how do I keep my hair while I wait for this wig?   I found that I couldn’t wash it like normal because more of it would come out.  I couldn’t brush it, pick it, or comb because gobs of it would come out.  Finally the day of the wig coming in had arrived.  I had the stylist cut it  in the style that I would wear the wig.  I learned how to care for the wig with washing it and then taking care of my own hair or skull area.  Losing my hair was one of the hardest circumstances that I went through.  Now only a few people in my family have seen what my head truly looks like.  I know that many cancer survivors choose to do what Joan Lunden did go bald in pictures all over the internet.  It was something that I just couldn’t bring myself to do.

During this time I had switched my care to Emory a local hospital here.  I had chemo treatments every Friday that I was off. The first drugs that they gave me was A and C.  I am sorry that I don’t remember the names of these drugs.  So I would go for treatment see the doctor and then get my chemo treatment.  The bright spot of my day was when April my friend would come and sit with me and take me out to eat later on.  At the infusion center where I received treatment they have this ritual when you have finished your chemo you dance out and ring the bell.  The hardest part of this treatment was that I felt reasonably okay and would take my anti-nausea medication.  I was tired but not overly so.  I had Saturday and Sunday to rest and then go back to work on Monday. 

I also continued to have tests during this time.  One  circumstance  that has always been true in my case is tests don’t usually come back with definitive results.  If the Oncologist sees an area that they believe you need to have checked out then they will tell you to get it looked at.  One area was gynecology which I saw outside of Emory, and proceeded to have trouble with my insurance.